Iqta an assignment of revenues (or produce) of a defined area of land, in return of services rendered. It was synonymous to jagir (or tuyul in the Mughal period). Probably the system of assignment in return of service was also known in India before the coming of the Muslims, and also under the Abbasids, Ghaznavids, Ghorids etc. So this was an old practice. When the Sultanate was established in Delhi and in Bengal, the easy way of bringing new dominions under proper control was to carve them out into iqtas. Iqta is frequently used in the histories of Delhi and Bengal during the early sultanate period. In the tabaqat-i-nasiri Lakhnauti is often called an iqta.

Iqtadar (or Aqtadar) was the holder of assignment. He performed the duties of controlling the area, establishing peace, collecting revenues etc. [Abdul Karim]